New here - Prolactin?

[normexcept]

Hello,  I am new to this discussion board.  I have had gynecomastia for as long as I can remember probably around 9 or 10 years old.  I have tried to just live with it but have always hated having breasts.  Recently, unrelated to this condition, I had some hormone tests done.  Out of three tests in the last year I had two come back with elevated prolactin levels and one came back with low testosterone.  Prolactin is a hormone type thing that allows women to produce milk.  Has anyone seen anything that might link prolactin levels to gynecomastia?
I would love to get surgery to remove the excess breast tissue and fat from my nipple areas and am looking at some kind of a medical link that could persuade my insurance to consider it a medical situation instead of a cosmetic situation so they will pay for some of the cost of the procedure.  I appreciate your responses.

[Paa_Paw]

The combination of Low Testosterone and High Prolactin should be thoroughly investigated by an Endocrinologist.

These conditions should be resolved before you seriously consider breast reduction surgery. Because your Gynecomastia may be a symptom of a glandular pathology, some insurance companies may react favorably about the breast reducion surgery though most would reject such a request regardless of cause.

[normexcept]

Thank you Dan.   I have an appointment later this summer with an endocrinologist.  I will bring up this subject to him/her.

[rufinito]

My case is pretty much similar, for months I believed it was a consecuence from dutasteride, but my new endocrinologist sent me to test the thyroid gland, and there was the problem. Low thyroid function (hipothyroidsm) then more secretion of TSH and prolactin, that was doctors explanation to my gyne and sex problems so I have to take medicine to treat the tyroid and wait for prolactin to low down

[Paa_Paw]

We often err in thinking of the function of one hormone or another.

The truth is that no Hormone acts as a solo nor do two act as a duet. There are many and they act in concert, which is why the evaluation of an Endocrinologist is important.